Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-18
THE LOWELL HILL CASE.
The Evidence All In - More Reminj
cences of Pioneer Days.

The Evidence All In More Reminjs.
cences of Pioneer Days.
The taking of testimony before the ex.
aminer of the United States Circuit Court
Judge Sawyer. was resumed at 10 A. NJ
on Saturday at San Francisco. This
is one of the most interesting cases
that has come before this Court in
many days. The testimony taken in
this case is given by men all of whom are
past 60 years of age, and many of whom
have lived their three score years and ten.
Their testimony dates way back of the
war, to the early mining days of California,
and in one instance ante-dated the discoy-
cry of gold in California. 1t was astonish.
ing the excellent memories these pioneers
had of their early experience in the mines.
Recollections of their first mining expert
ence, the days when in their eager search
for the tickle goddess they fed on pork and
beans, slept on the ground and endured
many hardships, are easily recalled, will
ever remain bright on memory's page.
while the incidents of later Y ears have been
entirely forgotten. The attorneys in the
case, with the exception of Senator Sargent,
were all born since those historic DAYS. y
In fact, the examiner and all connected
with the case seemed to belong to a subse-
quent generation.
The first witness called was John Hutch
ins, who at present lives at Clipper Gap, in
Placer county. He worked on Lowell Hill
in 1865, and in Steep Hollow creek as
early as 1889. His work on Steep Hollow
was in the nature of prospecting. He was
asked TO define what was meant by pros.
pecting." He replied; Mining is working
a :
searching for such deposits. The early
miners spent much of their time in pros
pecting along the gulches, creeks and IA
vines. As soon as they would find such a
deposit they would commence washing.
and as soon as it was worked out they
would shoulder their blankets, pick. shovel
and frying.pa and start ont again on q
prospecting tour, hunting for another de-
post. Steep Hollow was good prospect
ing place, but no miner ever found any,
thing in his meanderings up and down
that creek that paid him for his trouble :
the gravel deposits looked well, but the
gold was not there. The lower portion of
Steep Hollow creek, that below Lowell
Hill, was reported to have been very rich
in early days, but had been thoroughly
worked and reworked before 1859. The
witness was positive in his own mind, and
from his judgment as miner was willing
to assert that the old river channel of rich
gravel came from Remington Hill, over to
Lowell Hill, passed down through the
Golden BulI, the Swamp Angel, Little
York, and extended down through the
Dutch Flat mines to the Polar Star.
On cross-examination, witness testified
that he had worked in the Swamp Angel.
the Golden Bull, had been in the Skeban
mine, and was well acquainted with the
tcyray rll in l.. u
over section I, and had prospected it so
thoroughly that he was convinced that it
was non-mineral and good for nothing ex-
cepting agricultural purposes. He said in
the early days of mining before the extern
siye workings of those gravel deposits
plainly defined the extent and direction of
The ancient river channels. men were
sinking shafts in every direction. Holes
were made in the ground everywhere. and
lots of expensive work was done where to-
day miner of experience would not think
OF delving. Long prior to 1850 it was dem
onstrated that there were no pay channels
OF gravel on section Z. Witness said some
mining work has been done along Steep
Hollow creek since he abandoned it in
1883 as worked out, and in some unworked
spots good pay for Cinnamon has been
realized. In 1859 good pay for Chinese
miner to realize for his labor was 81 per
day, while at the present time a Chinese
miner would be satisfied with fifty cents
per day.
The witness said that in the opinion of
miners living in the neighborhood from
l959 to 1864, the territory lying within Sec
ton was considered to be mineral land,
but was not considered to contain sufficient
mineral to pay for mining; and in fact no
shafts were sunk or tunnels projected
yvIf n hn I'm re-
that time for the very reason that the
miners did not believe minerals could he
found there in paying quantities. The sur
lace indications of this section preclude the
idea OF suberranean channel passing
through section Z, for the bedrock comes
to the surface nearly all over it.
Charles S. Clarke, called as witness for
the defense, testified that he is 70 years of
age, miner, and has mined in the vicinity
OF Steep Hollow and elsewhere ever since
1872. That in 1856 he located some mining
claims below the Remington Hill trail, in
section II, and prospected some above
there on the creek and into section ! that
year and the year after.
cross exemlnation--The prospects found
along the creek III 1857, above the trail. did
not encourage mining, as but little gold
was found. Above the trail the creek was
pretty thoroughly worked out by 1856, and
In 1857 mining had ceased.
Charles L. Uren. recalled by the defense
described the technical legal subdivisions
through which Steep Hollow creek and the
south fork Of Steep Hollow creek flow,
naming the subdivisions by ten acre tracts.
Tbs ended the testimony for respondents.
General Carey then announced that he
had another witness who was not present
when he was putting in his testimony. and
whom 1t had been stipulated would be "a
lowed to testify when his attendance could
be secured. The witness was Frank T.
Mcguire, son of f. T. Mcguire who testified
on Thursday. Witness was 23 years of age,
native of Nevada county, who was born
IN Lowell Hill and spent his boy hood DAYS
amid the pine forests on section I. His
evidence, if worth anything, was more to
the advantage Of the respondents than to
the Government, and related slmest en-
tirely to the White Il Render gravel mine.
IN the tunnel of which he is now en-
ployed. As this mine is not in section :.
Senator Sargent moved TO strike il all out
as immaterial ard irr,l want. S .veral of
the witnesses We're recalled on unimportant
matters, mostly for corrections of their tes-
tlmony. At 12;45 p. n both sides an
nounced that all their testimony was in.
CHRONIC nasal catarrh positively cured